Return to the Past
by ironheartwriter
Summary: When Ancient Egypt is once again in trouble, an old friend comes to bring Atem back to save them all.
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome to my first Yu-Gi-Oh story. I recently started rewatching the series, starting with season 5, which spawned this fic as I suddenly found myself shipping Atem/Mana. It's my first attempt at writing a Yu-Gi-Oh fic, and it's been a long while since I've actually written a fanfic, so be gentle with me.**

**This Fic takes place in a bit of an Alternate Universe, where Atem and Yugi didn't face each other for their final duel yet and are in no rush to. Please keep that in mind.  
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**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the occasional OC or two that may appear.**

****Prologue

Yugi sighed softly as he headed down the busy street, headed for home after a crazy day at school. He was somewhat surprised though, to find himself walking home alone. It wasn't often that he was without the company of Tea, Tristan, and Joey.

"_Is everything alright, Yugi?"_

Yugi blinked before he turned his head ever so slightly to face the transparent form of Atem who had appeared beside him. Yugi smiled at the spirit of the five-thousand year old Pharaoh, who had become something of a brother to him and nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine," He responded. "I'm just not used to having to go home on my own, you know? Usually the gang's all with us, or at the very least Tea is. But they all had other plans today."

"_Well, you know, Yugi, you're never truly alone,"_ Atem said with a small smile before he vanished back into the Millennium Puzzle.

Yugi thought for a moment while he walked. That much was true. Atem shared his body and his mind so he really _was_ never fully alone. With a shake of his head, he snapped back to reality just as the bus he needed to take him home pulled up. He payed the fare and walked towards the back of the bus to find himself a seat, when suddenly he heard the Pharaoh gasp and without warning, the Millennium Puzzle started to glow and Atem took over his body.

"_What's wrong, Atem?"_ Yugi asked as the Pharaoh looked around.

"You don't feel it?" Atem asked as he walked slowly along the length of the bus. "There's someone here..."

His eyes fell on a girl who sat in the corner of the bus. Her eyes were covered with sunglasses and her hair stuck out in every direction under the hat she wore, but Atem couldn't help the way his eyes narrowed. Something felt weird about this girl. His suspicions were confirmed when she raised her hand to brush her hair back and on her finger was a ring...

"_Her ring's got a Millennium symbol on it!"_ Yugi gasped. _"Who is she...?"_

"I don't know," Atem said with a shake of his head, though his eyes were still narrowed at the girl. Suddenly, she smiled and got up as the bus stopped.

"You know, it's not wise to walk around in the sun without a hat, Pharaoh," She said in a low voice as she passed Atem and got off the bus. Atem stood stunned for a moment before he regained himself and dashed off the bus just as the doors were closing.

"_Did she just call you Pharaoh? How does she know?"_

"Beats me, but if she's got a ring with a Millennium symbol on it..." Atem's voice trailed off as the girl suddenly started running. "Wait!" He called after her as he too began to run. "Please!"

The girl's laugh was somewhat musical, and it reminded Atem of someone instantly. He had to know if it was really her. The girl led him to an alleyway before she finally stopped and turned to face him, "Oh, Pharaoh, is it really you?" She asked as she faced him and pulled down her sunglasses.

Atem's eyes widened as his eyes fell on the girl, "Mana?" He asked, taking a step forward. He couldn't believe that she was truly real. But that one crack about him walking around without a hat... It had to be her.

"_Mana, as in the Dark Magician Girl?"_

"Actually, my name is Mariah, in this life, but you can still call me Mana," She smiled. She winked at Atem and stepped forward. "I finally found you! I knew my spell wouldn't let me down!" She jumped up and hugged Atem close, "It's taken me forever to perfect that spell..."

"Mana, I don't understand," Atem said with a shake of his head though he hugged her back. Joey, Tristan, and Tea were good friends of his, but they were also Yugi's friends. Mana was from his time and life, and that made her that much more special to him "What are you doing here, in this time?"

"Looking for you, Atem," Mana said, dropping the formalities. She took hold of Atem's hand and looked directly into his violet eyes. "I need your help, Atem. You need to come back with me. Back to Ancient Egypt, your home."

**End Prologue**

_AN: Sorry for a short prologue, but I promise, the coming chapters will be longer. Leave a review if you like. They often motivate me to update faster._


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the OCs that may occasionally appear.**

Chapter 1

Mana stood pacing back and forth along the length of Yugi's room a few hours later. Tea, Tristan, and Joey now sat or stood scattered around the room while Atem himself sat in the chair by Yugi's desk. Finally, Joey broke the silence.

"So, what's really goin' on here?" Joey demanded, causing Mana to stop her pacing and look at him. "You can't just show up out of no where and say that you're taking the Pharaoh back to Ancient Egypt without an explanation."

Atem looked over at Joey, his eyes narrowed a bit. He didn't really like the tone that Joey had used when speaking to his friend, and he opened his mouth to say something to Joey, but Mana shook her head, "It's alright, Pharaoh," She said. "I really should explain more." She inhaled softly and sat down on the edge of Yugi's bed, "Pharaoh, Seto is dead."

"_What_?" Atem demanded, his eyes widening. "How? When did this happen? How many years have passed since I left?"

"Five," Mana responded gravely. "And he was assassinated by a group of rebels who have recently begun to stir up trouble. There is chaos currently running rampant through the streets of what was a peaceful kingdom since Zorc was destroyed, and there's dispute over who should rise to the throne as neither you nor Seto ever had an heir. Egypt needs you once again, Pharaoh. Please, don't send me back there alone. I can't face another war like the last one that caused so many deaths among us."

Mana was pleading with him, and Mana's pleading was one thing Atem had never been able to resist from the time that they were children. But he wasn't entirely certain that he could just up and leave to return to Egypt once again.

"_What are you thinking, Atem?"_ Yugi asked. Atem could hear the concern in Yugi's voice, and that worried him even more.

"I think that I might need to go back to Egypt," Atem said after thinking for a few moments. He knew, in his heart, that returning to restore peace to Egypt was the right thing to do, especially if it would save lives. "What's changed since the last time I was there, Mana?"

"Two new members have been added to the Pharaoh's Sacred Guardians, as Shada is dead and Seto rose to the throne after your death," Mana explained. "I was also chosen by the Millennium Ring and I too am now part of the Sacred Guardians." She turned to the bag that she had slung over her shoulder and pulled out the Millennium Puzzle, which Atem himself had left with Seto before returning to the present day, "I was told to bring this for you, as you're going to need it when you return to the throne."

"So that's it then?" Tea asked, speaking up at last. She looked at Atem, her eyes somewhat teary. She knew that Atem would be leaving them at some point, but she hadn't expected it to be so soon, or under these circumstances. "You really have to go..."

"It looks like it," Atem said with a nod. He stood up and took the Millennium Puzzle from Mana. It was not unlike the one that hung around his neck currently, except that it hung from a length of thin rope, not a heavy chain. Five thousand years hadn't changed the appearance of it a bit. _I'm sorry, Yugi. It looks like I don't really have any other options. I don't want my friends and family in the past to suffer more losses._

"_I understand, Pharaoh,"_ Yugi responded. _"Trust me, I would be surprised if you had turned Mana away and told her to go back without you. Do what you need to do, and come back here if and when you can. You've helped us out more times than I can count, now it's time for you to help your friends from your own time."_

_Thank you, Yugi,_ Atem thought before he turned his attention back to Mana, "So, how is this going to work?"

"I'm going to take us both back there with my magic," Mana said, holding out her hand and making her wand appear. "But first..." She looked directly into Atem's eyes, her own starting to glow with a green-blue energy and Atem felt his breath catch in his chest. He doubled over, holding onto the chair for support, but Mana's eyes never left his.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Tristan demanded. He started to move towards Mana when Atem's body fell over, replaced instantly by Yugi himself, while Atem's spirit floated above him. "What the..."

"Sorry," Mana said, blinking as her eyes went back to normal. "I had to separate the Pharaoh's spirit from Yugi's body." She gave Atem an apologetic look, "Well, you asked how it was going to work... You don't exactly have your own body in this time, what did you expect?"

Yugi sat up and looked back at the Pharaoh's spirit, "I can honestly say I wasn't expecting that," He said with a shake of his head. His body and mind felt different, as though something inside of him had suddenly gone hollow.

"Are you alright?" Atem asked, kneeling down beside Yugi. He was feeling weird himself, not used to actually being separated from Yugi's body. He tried put his hand on Yugi's shoulder, but his hand went right through him. _I'm a spirit. Of course I can't touch him..._

"I'm okay," Yugi said with a nod. He stood up and looked at Mana, "You'll make sure nothing happens to him, right?"

Mana looked deep into Yugi's eyes, the eyes that so reflected those of the Pharaoh's. When she'd first met Yugi, she'd thought that he himself had been the Pharaoh, "I give you my word, Yugi, as a part of the Sacred Guardians and as the Pharaoh's oldest friend, no harm will come to him while I am around him."

Yugi nodded and turned to Atem. There was something about Mana's promise that made him feel more at ease about Atem returning to Egypt, "Stay safe, Pharaoh," He said with a smile. "And just know, we're waiting for you to come back."

"Thank you, Yugi," Atem said as Mana walked over to him, holding her hand out. Atem looked at Mana's hand curiously. He was a spirit, did he actually expect him to be able to hold her hand?

"I'm not like a normal human, remember?" Mana asked with a small smile. "I could see them and touch them when they came to Egypt, and you'll be able to hold my hand now too."

Atem reached out and place his hand in Mana's surprised when he could, indeed, hold onto her. Her hand radiated warmth, and that warmth relaxed him, "Ready?" She asked, her body starting to glow along with her wand.

Atem nodded and smiled at his oldest friend, "Let's go home."

"Bye, Atem," Tea said in a soft voice as Mana and Atem both disappeared with a flash of bright light.

* * *

><p>Atem gasped and sat up. The world around him had gone black after he and Mana had vanished from Yugi's room. He looked around, his eyes wild as he took in the sight around him. Around his bed stood the six Sacred Guardians, including Mana.<p>

"I told you I did the spell right," Mana said with a roll of her eyes. She floated above Atem's bed lazily, the Millennium Ring hanging from her neck above Atem. "It's been five years and you all still doubt my abilities."

"It's not that we doubt you, Mana," Isis said with a shake of her head. She sat by Atem's side, reaching out to take his hand as though she were trying to feel his pulse. "It was a great deal of magic that you did, taking control of the body of your descendant and then bringing the Pharaoh back." She turned her attention to Atem, seeming to be satisfied that his heart was beating, "My King," She said, standing up from his bed and giving him a small bow. "Welcome home. Do you feel well?"

Atem looked around, "Just a little dizzy. How long have I been out?"

"Mana returned you here a few hours ago," Isis said. "Which is why we were so concerned when you didn't wake right away."

Atem sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and standing up. He took the Millennium Puzzle from beside his bed and returned it to his neck, "So it's been five years," He said. "Five long years... Please, tell me everything that has happened."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2

"There will be time for that later, my Pharaoh," Isis said. She walked to the window and looked out to the courtyard. "The kingdom is assembling. They need to see you, Pharaoh, to raise their morale." She turned her view to Mana, "Mana, is the guard all ready?"

Mana landed on the floor gracefully and nodded, "Yes, my men are standing at all entrances and all around the courtyard, ready to prevent any attack that may come."

Atem looked at Mana. It was weird to hear her talking about soldiers being her men. She really had grown a lot in the few years that he had been gone. Though she had been outwardly playful with him when she'd come to bring him back, she now seemed more serious and ready to handle any task that came to her.

"Good," Isis said with a nod. "Come, Pharaoh, your people have been waiting for your return. You shall face them like you once did all those years ago after the death of your father to give them hope that the peaceful days will return once again."

Atem nodded once, "Of course. Is it possible for me to have a few minutes alone before doing so? I need to get my mind straight once again. What good is a king at reassuring his people if he himself isn't certain of what needs to be done?"

"Surely," Isis said. She motioned to the rest of the Sacred Guardians, most of whom had been silent or whispering amongst themselves the last few minutes. "Whenever you are ready, my King, we shall be waiting in the Throne Room."

"Mana, wait," Atem said as the magician turned to leave. He wanted to be alone, but at the same time, he felt like having Mana around might help calm him down better than being completely alone would. "Can I have a word?"

"Sure!" Mana said, a smile coming to her face. She had missed Atem while he was gone, and any time she could just have a few minutes with her best friend was a good time for her. Once the rest of the Sacred Guardians had left the room, Mana floated over to Atem, standing in front of him, "I'm sorry, I guess I should give you more respect. You _are_ the King of Egypt, after all. It's just hard to get used to you being back and all of that." She looked up at him, her eyes slightly teary, "I missed you, Pharaoh, I truly did."

Atem stepped forward and put his hand on Mana's cheek, "Mana, please, you're my oldest friend, and part of the Sacred Guardians or not, I think it's okay for you to call me by my name." He wrapped his arms around her and held the youngest Guardian close, "It feels weird to be back here after the last time I left, but at the same time, I feel like this is right." He pulled back slightly just so he could look into Mana's eyes once again, but when he did so, he saw the tears trailing down her cheeks, "Mana, why are you crying?"

"I don't want to lose you again," Mana said in a low voice. She sniffled a bit and rubbed her eyes. "I missed you since the day you left to go back with your friends, Atem. You're the best friend that I ever had and when you left..." Her voice trailed off and she forced a laugh, "I'm sorry, Atem. I'm supposed to be calming you down, not bringing up more feelings."

"It's alright, Mana," Atem said, wiping what remained of her tears away. He smiled reassuringly and hugged her close once again, resting his chin on top of her head. "I missed you too. I truly, truly did."

Mana relaxed again and rubbed Atem's back as he held onto her, "I'm sorry for falling apart there for a moment. I don't know where all of these emotions are coming from." She smiled and gave Atem a small squeeze, "We really shouldn't keep them all waiting though. Your kingdom needs to see you now more than ever."

"Will you stay by my side, Mana?" Atem asked, reaching down and taking her hand in his. Mana had always been there for him, as long as he could remember, and he felt as though he would need her now, especially if he were to face his kingdom after five years of being absent.

Mana nodded once, "Of course!" She said positively. "Though, if you're going to face your kingdom, you're going to need one more thing." She waved her wand and the golden crown appeared on Atem's head. "Now you really look like a strong and powerful Pharaoh who's ready to face his people."

She took Atem's hand once again and gave it a squeeze, "Come on! Let's go!"

Atem walked with Mana, who seemed to be doing more bouncing than walking, and entered the familiar Throne Room, where his old advisor Isis stood looking out the window that led to the courtyard, "The rest of the Guardians have positioned themselves amongst the crowd in case something goes wrong." She looked at the way Mana and Atem were holding hands and she pointedly looked away, "Come, Pharaoh, face your people."

Atem walked out onto the balcony, squinting a bit in the bright light, before the roar of cheers and thunder of applause reached his ears. The courtyard seemed to be filled to the brim with people, all of them cheering and some of them even bowing down.

"Amazing," Mana murmured, looking over the edge of the balcony at the crowd that seemed to be growing bit by bit. She smiled over at Atem, "Your people really missed you, it seems."

"If I'm honest with myself, I kind of missed them too," Atem said, speaking louder than normal to project his voice over the crowd.

He glanced around, taking in the immense sight before him. It was just like the day he'd returned to the past the first time. It was incredible to him; the size of his kingdom and the loyalty of his people. After being away, he was ready to restore peace to his kingdom.

"Mana!"

Mana gasped as her Millennium Ring started to glow as the sound of Isis's voice reached her ears. The points of the Millennium Ring pointed to the North and she followed the points, seeing what was about to happen, "Pharaoh! Get down!"

Mana knocked Atem down, her body over his, just as she felt something pierce her back. She cried out in pain as she glanced back and saw a small dark dart embedded in her skin. She groaned softly and attempted to pull the dart out.

"Mana," Atem said, moving her slightly so he could reach for the dart himself, before Isis was instantly by his side. Isis pushed his hand away, pulling the dart out herself with a cloth, a soft yelp escaping Mana's lips.

"Pharaoh, don't touch it! It's laden with poison."

Atem's eyes widened slightly, "Poison? Mana!" He carefully turned her over, her eyes full of tears as she inhaled shakily. "Mana, hold on, please..." He looked up at Isis, his eyes pleading with her, "Please, Isis, tell me there's something we can do to help her."

"We might have an antidote for the poison," Isis said with a nod, "I'll go find it. The rest of the Guardians are trying to find the one who attempted to take your life. Wait here with Mana, Pharaoh."

Atem didn't need to be told more than that. He pulled Mana into his arms and brushed her hair out of her face, "Mana..."

Mana smiled weakly, and Atem found himself amazed that she could do that much with how she was shaking like a leaf being tossed about in the wind, "Well, at least I managed to save you from _something,_" She said with a soft sigh. "Maybe the rest of the Guardians will stop doubting me now."

"That's all you're worried about right now?" Atem asked, holding her hand in his and giving it a soft squeeze. "Mana, sometimes you amaze me." His grip on her hand tightened slightly as he saw her eyes struggling to stay open, "Mana, look at me."

Mana moaned softly and forced herself to look at Atem, her eyes finding his with some difficulty, "Atem, it hurts so badly..."

"I know, Mana," Atem said, giving her hand a soft squeeze. "I know. Just hold on, please. Don't close your eyes."

Mana inhaled shakily and leaned against Atem ever so slightly, "Just... please, don't leave me alone." Her eyes then closed and Atem's heart raced.

"Mana, look at me," Atem said, shaking her ever so slightly. Mana didn't respond aside from a soft groan, her grip on his hand weakening. "_Mana! _Mana, please... Please, don't..."

"Turn her on her side, Pharaoh," Isis said as she suddenly appeared by his side once again. Atem nodded and carefully turned Mana, who cried in pain as she was moved. Isis injected Mana with a clear liquid near the spot where the dart had penetrated her skin and Mana's body went limp.

"Is she going to be okay?" Atem asked, brushing Mana's hair out of her face. His heart was racing, his worry for Mana's life apparent through his eyes.

"She will be," Isis said with a nod, her Millennium necklace glowing slightly. "She just needs some rest." She knelt down and took Mana from Atem's arms. "I'll take her to her room, Pharaoh."

"Thank you, Isis," Atem said with a nod. He stood up once Mana was gone and found himself shaking. He couldn't believe Mana had risked her own life just to save his. And she'd nearly lost her life in the attempt too. He needed to see her. He needed to know that she was okay. He left the throne room, hearing murmurs as he passed by the people who worked in his palace. All of them talking about what had just happened.

"... I can't believe Mana somehow managed to get herself attacked. Leave it to her to have the soldiers miss something that could have easily been prevented."

Atem whirled around to face the man who had spoken, "You," He said, motioning to the man, a mere servant of the palace. "How dare you speak of Mana that way. She risked her life to save my own. Is saving the life of the Pharaoh not a good enough merit?"

"My apologies, Pharaoh," The man said, bowing deeply. "I did not mean to offend you. But you've been gone for several years. This is not Mana's first mistake."

"She's only human," Atem responded. "And humans make mistakes. Don't let me hear you speaking ill of any of my Sacred Guardians again."

"Yes, my King."

Atem walked off once again, locating Mana's room after a few minutes. He knocked on the door, Isis calling for him to enter, "You may leave, Isis. I'll sit with her until she wakes."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3

"_Atem! Atem, come on! The Nile's waiting!"_

_Mana laughed as she ran and dived straight into the cool water of the Nile River. She surfaced just as Atem dived in beside her. She splashed him playfully as he rose to the surface beside him, "Mana, sometimes you have brilliant ideas. A swim in the Nile was the perfect thing to do today."_

"_Well, a good idea comes around every once in a while, you know," Mana said with a wink. She swam up beside him and stood before him, "I wish we could do this more often though."_

"_I know what you mean," Atem said with a soft sigh. "My father keeps me busy as it is. It's nice to just be able to relax for once."_

"_Well, one day you're going to be Pharaoh over all of Egypt, Atem," Mana said, floating on her back. "And one day I'm going to be an amazing magician. Your father just wants you to be prepared."_

_Atem shook his head, "I don't know if I'll be able to rule over all of Egypt. That's a big kingdom..."_

"_Hey!" Mana said, wrapping her arms around Atem. "Don't talk like that, Atem! You're going to be an amazing prince. And who knows, maybe one day I'll even be working for you."_

"_I'd like that, Mana," Atem said with a smile. "It might be a little easier to rule if I have my best friend around."_

"_Don't worry about it, Atem, I'm always going to be here for you."_

Atem sighed softly as he sat beside Mana's bed. He was feeling somewhat restless. Several hours had passed since Mana had saved him, and night had fallen around the kingdom. The memory had come to him as he dozed off, but the fact that Mana had yet to wake had him worried at that point. He rose to his feet and walked over to the bed where Mana slept and shook his head.

"Mana... please, wake up," He said in a soft voice as he sat down on her bed. He thought that Mana looked even younger as she slept, not that she was old to begin with. He had been young when his father passed away and he rose to the throne, and a few years had passed since then, and if his math was correct, he and Mana were both in their mid-twenties.

A soft moan brought Atem out of his thoughts. He turned around and saw Mana open her eyes slowly and wince as she tried to sit up, "Wow, what hit me?"

"Mana," Atem said, his hand on her arm, "Please, take it easy. You were hit by a poison dart. I almost lost you."

"Yeah, but if I wouldn't have gotten hit, it would have been you," Mana said, remembering slowly what had happened. She looked at Atem apologetically, "Atem, I'm sorry. Someone slipped through the cracks and nearly killed you."

"You're the one who took a poison dart to the back to save me, and you're still apologizing?" Atem asked. Sometimes Mana confused him. "Mana, you have nothing to apologize for."

"But I do," Mana said with a shake of her head. "I'm the one who positioned all the soldiers and that mess up could have cost you your life. Egypt needs you now more than ever and I could have been responsible for the kingdom losing you."

"Mana, please, stop apologizing," Atem said, giving her arm a soft squeeze. He tilted her head up and looked into her blue-green eyes. "You saved my life. You don't know how much I owe you for that."

Mana tilted her head, "You don't owe me anything, Atem. It's my duty as one of the Sacred Guardians to protect you from any danger. And, I once promised you I was always going to be there for you. I intend to keep that promise. I lost you once already..."

Atem sighed softly. He wasn't sure there was much he could do to release Mana of the guilt that she held in her heart, "Mana..."

Mana sighed softly and laid back down, taking Atem's hand in her own, "At least you're safe. That's all I could have wanted. And I got to be the one to save you. Though, the other Guardians aren't going to be as understanding as you."

Atem thought back to the servant he'd heard talking in the hallway and he shook his head, "I'll talk to them, Mana. Don't worry."

"Thank you for staying with me, Atem," Mana said sincerely. She smiled at him, though the smile seemed somewhat forced, "You know Isis doesn't approve of this friendship of ours. She thinks I'm being disrespectful to the Pharaoh."

"Well, I suggest that Isis minds her own business," Atem said with a shake of his head. He hugged Mana gently, "Just because I'm Pharaoh now, doesn't mean I can't have my best friend by my side.

Mana hugged Atem back, leaning against him slightly for support, "You know it's not smart though," She said with a soft sigh. "You're watched like a hawk and I'm the one no one trusts to protect you."

"And if I don't care about any of those things?" Atem asked, brushing Mana's hair out of her eyes. "What if I want to keep you close to me because I truly care about you, Mana?"

Mana's cheeks blushed and she looked into Atem's eyes, "Atem, promise me you'll never leave me again."

"I give you my word, Mana, I'm not going to leave you again," Atem said. He leaned down to her, careful to not go near the area where the dart had penetrated her skin, and he kissed her softly, his lips meeting hers for the first time. He heard Mana gasp and her body go rigid for a moment before she relaxed and kissed him back. For the first time in his memory, Atem found himself completely at ease, lost in the moment.

Atem woke the next morning, finding himself slightly confused. It took him a few moments to remember where he was, and what he was doing there. The sight of the recovering Mana snuggled up against him reminded him of where he was and what had happened the day and night before. After he had kissed Mana, the young magician had pleaded with him to not leave her alone as she was afraid the antidote might make her feel sick, and it had. Atem had stayed up until dawn with her, just talking and figuring out what he had missed over the last five years, while Mana had thrown up several times throughout the night.

As experienced of a magician as Mana was, she hadn't been in any condition to try and find herself an antidote for the nausea caused by the poison antidote, so Atem had just stayed by her side, talking to her through the night until they both fell asleep.

"Good morning," A soft voice said, bringing Atem out of his thoughts. Atem smiled down at Mana, noting how her eyes still looked hazy with sleep.

"Good morning," Atem said, his hand moving along her arm, "How are you feeling?"

"A lot better," Mana said as she sat up. She stretched a bit and held out her hand, causing her wand to appear. She waved it over herself, replacing her dress with a clean and fresh one. She then waved her wand over Atem and did the same for him.

"Thank you," Atem said with a nod, a warm feeling emanating from his clothes. He too sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, "Come, Mana. We should both find something to eat and find out what's going on."

Mana nodded once and got up from the bed. She hesitantly held out her hand for Atem as she stood in front of him. She was a little uncertain where the two of them stood after he kissed her the night before, but she was a little more than certain that she didn't want to go back to the way things had been. She liked the closeness she and Atem shared, and she didn't want anything to ruin that.

Atem reached out to take her hand as there was a knock at the door. He stood up as Mana went to answer it. He was mildly surprised to see Isis standing there, as she seemed surprised to see him there, though he highly doubted that she hadn't known exactly where she was, especially as she had her Millennium Necklace around her neck.

"Isis," Mana said, a look of both worry and surprise on her face. "What brings you here?"

"I came to check on how you were doing, and to talk to you," Isis responded as she walked into the room. She stood before Mana and both their height and age difference seemed more apparent then than ever before to Atem. "How _are_ you feeling?" She glanced from Atem to Mana and back again.

"I'm feeling a lot better," Mana said with a small smile. She moved her fingers through her hair and shrunk back a bit so that she now stood somewhat behind Atem. She didn't like the way that Isis often looked down on her, but doing it in front of Atem was making her feel even worse. "Thank you. You said you wanted to talk to me?"

Isis nodded once before looking to Atem, "Pharaoh, may I speak to Mana alone?"

Atem's eyes narrowed slightly as he turned to look at Mana, not missing the way that she was looking nervous and skittish, "You may speak freely in front of me, Isis," He said, his arms crossed over his chest, having a very strong feeling he wasn't going to like what Isis was going to say.

"If you say so, my King," Isis said with a slight incline of her head before she turned back to Mana, "Mana, the other Guardians aren't happy about yesterday. That attack shouldn't have happened."

"I had my men at every entrance and exit to the palace," Mana said, moving around Atem once again. She looked at Isis and sighed, "I don't know what else I could have done. I managed to protect Atem either way."

"_Pharaoh,_" Isis said pointedly. She crossed her arms over her chest and spoke as she would to a young child. "It's not polite to refer to the Pharaoh by his name."

"Maybe not for you," Mana said with a roll of her eyes, her frustration growing by the moment. "But I've known the _Pharaoh_ for his entire life. And you're so busy blaming me for the attack yesterday, aren't _you_ the one with the necklace that can see the future? Why couldn't you have warned me about the attack before the dart actually was flying towards him to begin with?"

Atem was surprised to see Mana as defensive as she was. He knew that she could stand up for herself when she needed to, but most of the time she was very even-tempered.

"All of you can't blame this entire thing on me," Mana said with a shake of her head. "I did my job, and in the end, I protected him, didn't I? I took the dart that was meant for him and I went through a night of agony for it. If that doesn't prove to all of you that I'm willing to do anything for him to be safe, then I don't know what will."

"Mana..." Atem said, his voice trailing off. He really had never seen Mana's angry side, and he had to admit, he wasn't liking it very much. Not only that, it was as if a dark presence had suddenly entered the room as well, and that presence radiated from Mana.

"Just leave me alone," Mana said with a shake of her head before she waved her wand and vanished from the room, leaving Atem alone with Isis.

Atem sighed and turned to his older Guardian, "You really shouldn't have spoken like that to her, Isis," He said. "She _did_ save my life."

"Pharaoh, with all due respect, are you speaking from your wisdom, or from the feelings that you carry for Mana?" Isis asked, her eyes tilted towards the floor.

"You're out of line, Isis," Atem said, his own anger rising. "My feelings for Mana are none of your concern, and you'd be wise to remember that." With that Atem walked off, hoping that Mana would not be hard to find, but he knew her magical powers could have teleported her anywhere in the kingdom. He thought for a moment, trying to think back to the places he and Mana would go as children, and an idea of where to go came to him almost immediately.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Thank you all so much for the reviews I've been getting. I might have to change the rating on this, I might not, but anyway, I hope it's enjoyed nonetheless. **

Chapter 4

Mana sighed softly as she laid down beneath an old fruit tree. She looked up at it, remembering exactly what had happened beneath that tree so many years earlier. She had been jumping up trying to get a fruit from one of the branches, when Atem reached up and got it for her, and then Mahad...

"Mahad," She said in a soft voice, thinking of her former teacher and the former holder of the Millennium Ring. He now only lived in Atem's _Ka_ of the Dark Magician. But he was the reason Mana had studied hard to become the magician that she now was. She was going to keep Atem safe, hopefully without giving up her own life to do so. "Mahad, I need your strength."

"I might not be Mahad, but maybe I can help."

Mana looked up and saw Atem standing a few feet away. She sat up, crossing her legs as she did so, "You sure you want to risk being around me?" She asked, her voice slightly cold. "You never know, you might get attacked and get hurt."

Atem sat beside Mana and sighed, putting his hand on her shoulder, "Mana, don't talk like that. You know you're strong and you can protect me perfectly well."

Mana sighed softly and leaned against Atem, allowing herself to relax for the moment, "I'm sorry," She said in a soft voice. "I didn't mean to talk so coldly to you. You're still my best friend, and I shouldn't be taking my anger out on you. I'm just so _tired_ of Isis and the other Guardians picking on me. The Millennium Ring chose me for a reason, I just wish they'd accept that."

"I understand, Mana," Atem said with a nod. It was strange for him to think that just a few minutes earlier he'd sensed such a dark presence emanating from her when she seemed so peaceful now. His mind went back to what she said about him being her best friend. "Mana, is that really all we are? Just best friends?"

Mana tilted her head, slightly surprised at the sudden change that the conversation had taken. Her cheeks burned as she remembered the kiss she and Atem had shared the night before. Her memory of the night was pretty hazy, but that kiss definitely stuck out, "Oh," She said at last, the only word that could come to her mind.

Atem laughed and moved his fingers through Mana's hair, playing with a strand between his fingers, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to catch you off guard, Mana."

"It's okay," Mana said with a shake of her head, relaxing as she felt Atem's fingers in her hair. She sighed softly and put her head down on Atem's lap, "I don't know," She admitted as she took Atem's other hand and played with it while she spoke. She looked up into Atem's violet eyes before she bit down on her lower lip, "I..."

"What is it, Mana?" Atem asked, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. He was just trying to figure out what was on her mind, but he was partially happy that Mana couldn't hear the way his heart was pounding against his ribcage. He was rarely nervous, even in the most intense duel, but leave it to Mana to get him as nervous as he'd ever been. "You can tell me anything, you know."

Mana smiled up at Atem, "Honestly?" She asked and Atem nodded once in response, "I've had dreams of what it would be like to be more than just best friends with you for as long as I can remember," She said as her cheeks burned even brighter and the color reached her ears.

Atem moved his fingers from Mana's hair to trace the line her blush left on her skin and he smiled down at her. "Mana, you've become such a beautiful woman," He said, starting to play with her hair once again.

"Well, you haven't turned out half bad yourself," Mana said with a soft giggle. She reached up and traced the lines of Atem's cheekbones, along his sun-bronzed skin. "I've watched you change from a young boy to a lanky and awkward teenager, to the strong and powerful King of Egypt. I have to admit, it wasn't bad to watch."

Atem leaned against Mana's fingers before he took them and kissed them softly, "My Mana, if I had to choose one of the Sacred Guardians to always be by my side, you're the one I'd want to be there."

Mana sat up and kissed Atem softly. He made her heart soar, and when she was alone with him, she was happier than she could ever remember being. Being with him was something that just seemed right to her. She felt another rush as Atem pulled her a little closer, returning the kiss.

Mana inhaled slowly as the kiss ended, her forehead against Atem's as she stayed close to him, "Wow," She said with a wink. "Definitely much better than it was when I was half out of it."

Atem leaned back on Mana and closed his eyes contently, "My Mana. Come with me; I promised you a good meal, and let's go have it."

"Wait," Mana said with a shake of her head. "I want to do something before we eat."

Atem tilted his head, "What do you mean?" He watched as Mana rose to her feet and held out her hand, her wand appearing with a flash. Sometimes Mana was as mysterious as a woman could be, but he was used to her quirks.

"Just watch!" Mana said as she closed her eyes. She started to glow and within moments her _Ka_ of the Dark Magician Girl appeared above her in a burst of pink light and blue sparkles, a smile on her face that mirrored Mana's. She did a little spin in the air before she floated over to Atem and bowed before him.

"Mana, she seems different since the last time I saw her," Atem said, looking the Dark Magician Girl up and down while the spirit started to spin around in front of him, her blond hair spinning around her. "What is it that's so different about her?"

"Well, I told you, I've become a lot stronger in the last five years that you've been away," Mana said. She stood beside the Dark Magician Girl, the similarities in their physical appearances almost uncanny, aside from their different hair colors. "As I get stronger, so does she. She _is_ a part of me, after all."

Atem nodded once, "That makes sense. But Mana, why did you want to show me this? I'm not sure I understand."

"Because I'm so sick and tired of people telling me I'm not good enough," Mana said. She inhaled slowly and closed her eyes, "I'm going to show you just what I can do so that when the other Guardians come to you about me, you can say for yourself that you've seen just what I can do and that you really do believe that I can protect you."

Atem watched as Mana herself started to glow, but he reached out to touch her shoulder, "Are you sure that's wise to do after what happened yesterday?" He was worried about Mana, if he was honest with himself. He knew Mana wasn't back to full health after being hit by the poison dart the day before, and he didn't want to see her cause herself more harm. "Mana, you don't have to prove anything to me."

Mana opened one eye and glanced back over her shoulder at Atem, "But I need to prove it to myself," She said before the energy surrounding her pushed Atem's hand off her shoulder. She was surrounded by the same light that surrounded the Dark Magician girl, as an orb of energy appeared at the end of the Dark Magician Girl's wand, "Dark Magic Attack!"

The large orb of energy flew straight into the sky before it exploded above them, sparks raining down on both her and Atem like fireworks. Mana looked up into the sky and smiled before her knees gave out. Atem was there to catch her before she hit the ground, his arms going around her shoulders and lowering both of them to the ground in a sitting position with Mana cradled in his arms, "Yeah, I know," Mana said with a shake of her head as she sat up in Atem's arms. "You told me so. But you know what? I like to think I just proved something to both me and you."

"And what's that?" Atem asked, sweeping Mana's long hair out of her face. Even worn out, she still looked beautifully breathtaking to him.

"That I can do it," Mana responded. She leaned against Atem and sighed contently. "Even not at full strength, I'll be able to keep you safe."

* * *

><p>Atem kept his eye on Mana throughout the rest of the day whenever he was able. They had to separate for a while, Isis requesting that he meet with the new members of the Sacred guardians who he did not know. The new holders of the Millennium Key and the Millennium Scale were both confident and strong, there was no denying that, but Atem found himself wondering what they could really do if a fight were to arise.<p>

"Isis," Atem said once they were alone once again, having dismissed the two new Guardians. He had not completely forgiven Isis for what she had said to him earlier in the day, but she was still one of his Sacred Guardians, and he respected her as such, "What became of Seto's Millennium Rod?"

"We have not yet found someone to wield it, my King," Isis responded. She inclined her head and sighed softly, "Akhenaden and I have hidden it from the rest of the Guardians to keep it safe. Once we have found someone worthy of holding it, you will be the first to know, Pharaoh."

Atem nodded once, "Very well," He said after a moment. "You may go, Isis. Go get some rest. I want to go out tomorrow and see what I've missed around the Kingdom the last few years."

"Of course," Isis said with a nod. "Good night, my King." She left him alone and Atem himself found himself worn out. Mana had left earlier to go out with Akhenaden, to take care of some trouble that had been started up in the town, and she had assured him that she would come back to him as soon as she was able, but now that his day seemed to finally be over, he was ready to get some rest.

He left the Throne Room to walk down the silent hallway alone, the palace almost completely silent around him, aside from the few servants who were cleaning nearby. He vaguely wondered what time it was, he wasn't used to telling time in Egypt. He was used to clocks and watches from the twenty-first century. He returned to his room, but was surprised to see someone already on his bed.

"When did you get back?" Atem asked as he approached the stretched out Mana. Mana's eyes opened and she smiled up at Atem, her smile seeming to make the whole room lighten up.

"Only a few minutes ago," Mana said with a yawn. "I saw you were talking with Isis and I didn't want to interrupt," She said, looking down at the floor.

"You know, you don't have to be intimidated by her like that," Atem said, easily able to read Mana's feelings as he sat down on the bed beside her. "You have just as much power, if not more, than she does. You're a strong, beautiful, powerful magician..."

"You think I'm beautiful?" Mana asked, sitting up with a soft laugh. She pulled Atem down onto the bed with her and she climbed onto his lap. Atem wrapped his arms around her and nodded once, making her heart soar once again.

"So, you took care of whatever was going on in town?" Atem asked, rubbing Mana's back softly. He could tell she was once again feeling better, and as he rubbed her back, he could feel her heart racing against her ribs.

"It was just some kids causing trouble," Mana said with a shrug. "Not really a big deal, in the end, though Akhenaden thinks one of them might have a dark spirit living inside of him so the other Guardians are going to take care of it in the morning."

"I think I'll accompany them on that excursion then," Atem said, leaning his cheek on Mana's forehead. "But that's a task for tomorrow." He tilted Mana's chin up so that he could kiss her. As their lips met and Mana kissed him back, Atem found himself feeling something he'd not really experienced before. It was as if a new kind of hunger had suddenly arisen in him. A simple kiss didn't just seem to be enough.

Atem shifted slightly, moving so that Mana now lay beneath him on the bed. He slid his tongue along Mana's lower lip, and with a soft moan, a sound that he'd never heard from her before, she parted her lips for him and their tongues met. Mana's body arched up to Atem's and her arms snaked around his neck, pulling him closer to her as their kiss progressed.

"Atem," She breathed his name softly as they separated a moment to regain their breath. Her eyes were locked on his deep amethyst orbs which now contained a look she'd never seen before, but she wasn't afraid of him, not in the least. She pulled him down to her for another kiss, their tongues meeting once again as their bodies seemed to mold together, Mana's fingers moving through Atem's dark hair, a soft moan escaping Atem's lips then as he clawed gently at her sides.

"My Mana," Atem spoke, his voice like silk as he looked her over. If he'd thought Mana's heart had been racing before when he'd held her, it was nothing compared to how he felt his own heart thundering then. He lowered his lips to her neck, kissing along the sensitive skin, not missing how she reacted with each kiss, her nails gently going against his back, before he gently bit down on her pulse point, causing a new sound of pleasure to escape her lips. "My beautiful, sweet, amazing Mana..."

"Shhh," Mana said, tiling Atem's chin back to her so she could kiss him again. All she wanted at that moment was to be close to him, to feel more of him...

"Mana, wait."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5

Mana's heart fell flat as she heard Atem tell her to stop. She blinked, her face starting to burn, "W-what...?" She asked, shaking her head. She sat up, pushing Atem off of her as tears stung at her bright eyes. She looked over at Atem, moving her fingers through her hair, "Are you serious right now?"

"Mana, please," Atem said, reaching out and stroking her cheek with his fingers. "Let me explain..."

"Explain why you don't want me?" Mana asked, her voice raising in pitch as her throat choked up. She shrank away from Atem's touch as she blinked hard, trying to stop the tears that threatened her. She shook her head, "Fine. Why?" She asked, finding it hard to form words. Things had been so perfect just moments earlier, and she thought Atem had been attracted to her like she was to him...

"I wouldn't feel right about it, Mana," Atem said in a soft voice. He wanted to reach out and tell her that he was sorry, and in his heart, he felt like an idiot. He reached towards her, though his hand froze in mid-air, not wanting to watch her shift away again from him again. "Mana, you know I care deeply for you as you do for me, but I wouldn't feel right about doing it if we're not committed to each other for life."

"Married," Mana said, simplifying the whole thing for herself. She got up from the bed, her tears now streaming down her cheeks. "We've been friends our entire lives, you know everything about me and I know every last thing about you, and you won't let yourself act on your feelings because we're not _married_?" She wiped at her tears with the back of her hand, "I'm never good enough. Never. Hey, I probably never will be, but where's the shock there?"

"Mana, please..."

"What?" Mana demanded, her feelings exploding all at once. The rejection, the torment that she'd been enduring from Isis, the pain she'd dealt with while Atem had been gone, it all came back to the surface at once and her blood boiled. "What else could you possibly have to say to me, _Pharaoh_?"

The last word could have slit Atem's throat with the amount of venom that Mana put into it, and he even recoiled a bit from her. Mana glared at Atem and reached around her neck, tossing the golden Millennium Ring onto the bed, "I'm done. You want to go and be all righteous and listen to the crap Isis says and always protect and save everyone except for me, _fine_. You can find another holder for the Millennium Necklace. Goodbye, _Pharaoh._"

Atem opened his mouth to speak, but with a burst of golden light, Mana was gone. Atem was instantly up from the bed, "Mana! Come back!" He flew out of his room, trying to think of where Mana would have gone. He hadn't meant to hurt her the way that he had, and at that moment, he wished he could take it all back and just keep going with the feelings he and Mana had been sharing minutes earlier, _But of course, I had to go and screw that up. I'll be lucky if Mana ever speaks to me again._

Atem stopped running as he felt a jolt pass through his body. The thought of Mana never talking to him again... He was almost certain that could cause him more pain than any Shadow Game ever could.

* * *

><p>Mana collapsed to her knees, her hands flat against the ground of the cave she had teleported to as the tears flowed freely down her cheeks to the ground, her body trembling as she struggled to hold herself together, <em>Why am I surprised?<em> She questioned herself as she stared at the ground. _I was born into a __family who didn't want me because I was different. Mahad took me under his wing and taught me that I didn't have to reject my abilities, and Atem..._ Her blood boiled once again as she thought of him. _No, I can't think like that. He's got better things to concern himself with than me. He could have any and every woman in the Kingdom. He wouldn't want a plain magician like me._

She sat back on her heels, leaning against the wall as she continued to cry, her whole body convulsing as the sobs took over her, her heart crumbling along with the world around her, _Nobody wants me. Not Atem, not any of the Guardians..._

_But they'll learn to respect me._

Mana looked up as she heard the voice. She hiccuped, almost certain she had been hearing things. But another jolt passed through her body, _They find you weak, Mana. They couldn't care if you lived or died, and that will be what brings all of them down._

"Who said that?" Mana asked, looking down at the floor, her hand over her heart, where she had felt the jolt. The voice sounded very similar to her own, except it had a hint of something different, something dark. The presence spoke with an almost silky, seductive tone, and that set Mana on edge in the midst of her pain. "Who are you?"

_I'm the one who's going to show all of them that they should be sorry they ever doubted you could be strong. Don't fight me, Mana. Embrace me._

Mana felt another, stronger pain pass through her entire body. She cried out, wishing more than anything that the pain would stop, "No, please! Please, don't do this to me! Leave me alone!"

And suddenly, the pain was gone, as was Mana's control over her body. She was surrounded in darkness as she looked around, "What's going on?" She asked as she stood up. She looked around at the darkness before she looked up. Above her, she could see the cave, as she had seen it moments earlier, but now she could tell that her body was moving, though she was not the one making it do so.

_I think you know, Mana,_ The dark female voice responded. _Like those before you who had their hearts filled with pain, you too had a darkness living in your heart. A darkness that grew each time someone hurt you, until I became strong enough to finally take over._

"No!" Mana gasped. She held her hand over her heart. She'd felt the darkness many times in the past, especially around Isis. But she never would have imagine that she'd just left all the pain manifesting in her heart into a spirit of pure darkness.

_Ah, yes,_ The voice said with a laugh. _Isis will be the first one to pay. She's caused you more pain over the last five years than you care to remember, the way she's put you down. But I'll make sure she pays for that. Now, let me remind you of what brought me into being..._

Mana's vision went hazy once more as images from her childhood started to flash before her eyes, images she'd buried away along with the pain, or so she'd thought. She couldn't believe this was all happening. It had to be a dream.

_This is no dream, Mana. I assure you of that. Though, I will make the lives of those who brought me into being into full blown nightmares._

"Please," Mana said weakly, feeling herself slipping into a daze of sorts. Her control was gone, the darkness having taken her over completely, forcing her to watch memories from her past while her darkness claimed her body. She wanted her control back, but she wasn't even certain how she'd lost her control in the first place. "Please, don't hurt them. Atem..."

_Oh, don't worry about him, Mana. I'm going to have some fun with your dear Pharaoh before he gets his. I promise you that. And you'll watch every last second of it._

Tears slid slowly down Mana's cheeks and she shook her head, "Atem... I'm sorry."

* * *

><p>By dawn it was apparent to Atem that Mana was not in the palace. He'd combed the vast palace himself, along with several of the servants, and they'd had no luck. As the sun started to rise, he waited for Isis to wake. He hoped that with the help of her Millennium Necklace, she might be able to tell him where Mana was, and that she was safe.<p>

_Gods, please, I beg of you, I messed up, but please, don't take that out on Mana. She doesn't deserve to feel the pain that I caused her..._

"Pharaoh."

Atem jumped slightly as Isis appeared behind him. He inclined his head slightly and smiled at Isis, "Good morning," He said, his voice sounding hollow to his own ears.

"One of the servants said that you were looking for me," Isis said, crossing her arms over her chest. She looked Atem up and down, not missing the dark circles under his eyes, "Is everything alright, my King? You look as though you haven't slept."

"Mana has gone missing," Atem said at last. His heart ached as he said the words, but he wasn't going to show Isis his weakness. "I made a mistake and now I'm afraid that she might be in danger. Isis, I know you have your own reservations against Mana, but I'm asking you as your king to please help me locate her."

Isis looked deep into Atem's eyes. She could see his pain radiating through them as she nodded. She raised her hands to her Millennium Necklace as one of her _Ka_ appeared beside her, "Spiria, start searching for Mana, start by the River Nile and continue along there." The spirit monster gave a sound of recognition and flew out of the window. Her necklace then started glowing as she closed her eyes, "Pharaoh, while Spiria and I search like this, it might be wise to gather a group of men to start searching the land on horse. There's only so much land Spiria and I can cover together."

Atem nodded once, "Thank you, Isis," He said once again, his tone hollow. He sighed softly as he moved to go find Akhenaden. He had a feeling it was going to be a very long day, and he was already exhausted.

Isis watched Atem walk off before she closed her eyes again. The Millennium Necklace opened her mind's eye, and she started searching for Mana, "You can't find what doesn't want to be found..."

Isis's eyes shot open and she whirled around, her eyes widening, "Mana? What are you doing _here_? I thought..."

Mana smirked, her eyes glowing evilly, "That I was missing?" She shrugged, "Maybe I was. But I'm not anymore." She laughed as Isis backed up slowly from her, "Why, Isis, what's wrong?" She asked, tilting her head. "You're acting as if you've never seen me before."

"You're not Mana," Isis said with a shake of her head. She could feel it, the darkness that was controlling Mana's body, and at that moment, she knew she was in trouble. "Who are you?"

"Well, you're half right," Mana said with a shake of her head. "I _am_ Mana, just the part of her that you helped to create by constantly putting her down and causing her to break down. And now, I'm going to return the favor."

"Mana, please," Isis said with a shake of her head, a dark aura now visibly radiating from Mana's body. "I'm sorry. Oh, Ra, I'm sorry," She said, her cobalt eyes legitimately scared. She looked up in time to see the Darkness's eyes flickering between the glowing and Mana's normal blue-green eyes.

"Isis, help..."

That was the last thing Isis heard before the world around her went black. In her mind, Mana was fighting and fighting hard, but getting those two words out alone while trying to get through to Isis had drained her almost completely of her energy. As she watched Isis fall, she pulled at her hair. She felt so completely helpless, and now Isis was paying the price, "What did you do to her?"

_Nothing that she'll remember,_ The darkness responded. She walked over to where Isis lay on the ground. Anyone who didn't know what she had done would think that she was just sleeping. _She's reliving her own worst nightmares. But she'll be okay, once she wakes up. At least until I get her alone again._

Mana moaned softly, holding her knees close to her body. She was so worn out, she barely had it in her to keep arguing with her darkness, at least until she heard the next taunt.

_Now, onto your dear little Pharaoh._


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Thank you all so much for the reviews thus far. I had a bit of trouble with this chapter, but I think in the end it came out well. I'm sorry if it gets a little confusing whether Mana or Yami!Mana is talking. Most of the time it's Yami!Mana talking, especially when she's talking to someone other than** **herself, (if that makes any sense...)**

Chapter 6

"Atem will never fall for your tricks," Mana growled up at the darkness. She was growing more and more frustrated by the moment as she could only sit by and watch the trouble that was being caused. "He knows me almost better than I know myself. He'll notice something's wrong instantly."

_Well we'll see just how well he really does know you, won't we? And even if he does know something's wrong with you, would he actually risk hurting you just to get rid of me?_

She vanished in a flash of black light, focusing on finding Atem. Almost instantly, she reappeared behind a column in time to see Atem walking a few feet away, "Atem," She said in a soft voice. In her mind, Mana cringed at just how much the darkness sounded like her. Even Atem seemed to realize it as he turned around.

A smile came to his face as he breathed a sigh of relief and half ran back to her, "Mana! You're back! When did you... are you alright?" He reached out and touched her cheek, but a nearly painful jolt passed through his arm as he did so. His brow furrowed a bit as he looked deep into Mana's familiar blue-green eyes, and even something seemed off about them. "Mana...?"

Mana nuzzled against Atem's hand before she kissed it softly, "I'm fine," She said with a nod. She reached out and took Atem's other hand, giving it a soft squeeze. Atem had to do everything in his power to not jerk away from Mana, whose hands were like shards of ice as she held his own. Something was wrong with her, but he just couldn't put his finger on it. He shook his head. He was just overtired; there was nothing wrong with Mana, it was all in his head.

"Mana, I'm so sorry," Atem said honestly. He squeezed Mana's icy hand back before he brought it to his lips and kissed it. "I'm so, so sorry. I shouldn't have done what I did, or at least handled it differently."

"It's alright, Atem," Mana said with a shake of her head. "I shouldn't have reacted the way I did either." She reached up and ran a finger along the dark circles under Atem's eyes. Atem closed his eyes as a chill shot through his body, "I kept you up all night by leaving, and for that, I am sorry. I should have heard you out, I should have listened..."

"I think we're both partially at fault here, Mana," Atem said as he opened his amethyst eyes, a smile coming to his face. He sighed in relief, happy to have Mana back with him, even if he felt like something was slightly off. Then again, he thought he himself was also a little off, considering he'd had no sleep the night before.

_Atem, help..._

Atem tilted his head, "What did you say, Mana?" He realized then that the words hadn't come from her lips. He felt like he was definitely going crazy at that point. That, and he needed sleep badly. Now that he knew Mana was safe, maybe he could manage to get a few hours in before the next crisis struck. But as the thought came to his mind, he heard the banging of the gong that made up the palace's alarm. "What could possibly be going on now?" He asked, looking around.

"It's Madam Isis! Madam Isis has been hurt!" An approaching guard said, completely out of breath as he approached Atem. He bowed in respect before straightening up breathlessly, "My apologies, Pharaoh, but Isis has just been found unconscious in the throne room. Though she is unconscious, she screams and talks to apparitions no one can see. Akhenaden fears she might have somehow gotten sent to the Shadow Realm."

"_What_?" Atem demanded, his eyes narrowing. He followed the servant back to the throne room, and Mana's darkness growled softly.

"Always such a do gooder," She growled under her breath. "Here I was hoping that I was about to get our precious Pharaoh all alone..." Her voice trailed off as her head was silent, "Mana?" She said, tilting her head to the side. "Oh, Mana, you finally gave in to me? I knew you were the weaker one. Shameful, and you're supposed to be the big strong holder of the Millennium Ring. Speaking of that... I really _must_ get that back from him. I'll need it if I want to keep existing in this world."

She followed after Atem back to the Throne Room, shaking her head as she went. She would make sure that she wasn't going anywhere, and neither Mana, nor Atem, would stop her. She walked back into the Throne Room in time to see Atem kneeling beside Isis, the eye of the Millennium items glowing on his forehead, the puzzle around his neck glowing as well. He was speaking in a low tone, and even the darkness wasn't able to make out what he was saying. But as she watched him, she could tell Isis was returning to normal. Within moments, Isis was waking up, and the mark vanished from Atem's forehead.

"Isis, are you alright?" Atem asked, helping the Sacred Guardian get to her feet. She looked around, completely confused as she took in the scene around her.

"My Pharaoh, what happened?" Isis asked, her hand on her head. "What was I doing on the floor? Wasn't I supposed to be helping you find..." Isis looked around and her eyes landed on Mana, "Mana, you're back!"

Mana nodded once, "I just got back a few minutes ago," She said easily, feigning her concern with ease. "I just needed some time to myself. What happened to you, Isis?"

"I'm not sure," Isis said honestly. She rubbed her forehead with her palm as she continued "All I remember was you walking away from me before, Pharaoh, and sending Spiria to go look for Mana. But I do not feel so well. I'm sorry, my King, but now that Mana has returned, would it be alright with you if I were to rest for a while?"

"Of course," Atem said with a nod. "I'll have one of the doctors come see you soon." He watched as Isis walked off and he sighed. It was worrying to him that Isis had, indeed, had her mind transported to the Shadow Realm. Not many people could use power like that, and Atem had thought he'd destroyed the last person who could.

"Atem," Mana said, walking forward. She gave him a reassuring look and smiled at him, "Come, there's nothing you can do while looking dead on your feet," She said, giving his hand a soft squeeze. "Why don't we both try to get some rest before the world _really_ starts to fall apart again?"

Atem looked Mana up and down, his head cocked slightly. Something just seemed wrong with her, and it was bothering him that he couldn't figure it out. Mana was his oldest friend, and though she looked fine, he could tell something was off, "Mana, why don't you go ahead?" He suggested with a smile. He squeezed her still-icy hand back before he released it. "I'll catch up with you in a few minutes."

"Okay then," Mana said with a nod. She started to walk off, unaware of why Atem had wanted her to walk ahead of him. Once she was a few yards away, Atem put both his hands on his Millennium Puzzle as he closed his eyes and the symbol appeared on his head once again. As he felt the energy rushing through his body, he opened his eyes and looked at Mana, his heart racing as he saw a black aura surrounding his best friend.

_I knew it. Something isn't right here,_ He thought as he released the puzzle and the mark on his forehead disappeared. _I should have realized it instantly; Isis getting hurt and her reappearing at the exact same time. But what **exactly** is going on here? I'll have to figure that out..._

He followed after Mana and returned to his room with her. Though he knew something was wrong, he wasn't going to let her know that. Not yet, anyway. He slid onto his bed, and smiled at Mana as she joined him, "Mana, can I ask you something?"

_I hope you're listening,_ The darkness thought to the imprisoned Mana. _And watching. I wouldn't want you to miss me playing around with your Pharaoh..._ "Sure, Atem," She said with a nod. She cuddled up to him, putting her head down on his shoulder. "What's up?"

"What's my favorite color?"

It was then that the darkness heard Mana laughing in her head, _Good luck with that one... He told me that when we were kids. Can **you** remember that? Or can you only remember the pain from when I was that old?_

The darkness narrowed her eyes as she rubbed at her head, "Atem, why do you ask...?" She asked, trying to cover up for the fact that she very well didn't remember his favorite color.

"That's not an answer, _Mana_," Atem said, sitting up slightly. He held onto Mana's arms as he sat up, "What's my favorite food?"

The darkness felt her cheeks burn, as she looked back into Atem's eyes and she balled her hands into fists, _He knows..._ She knew that had to be it. Why he was asking her such random questions...

Atem's eyes narrowed as he stood up, "Now, why don't you tell me who you really are, and why you're controlling Mana?" He asked.

The darkness laughed a sinister laugh as she looked up at Atem, her eyes flickering slightly, "I'm surprised, Pharaoh. I really underestimated you. I wasn't expecting you to figure out something was wrong until at least tomorrow. But what makes you think I'm _not_ Mana?"

"For one, Mana would never hurt anyone," Atem said with a shake of his head. "And it was too much of a coincidence that you turned up right before Isis was found with her mind in the Shadow Realm. Mana's not the only one with magical powers in this palace. And, _my_ Mana would never forget the answers to such simple questions like my favorite color or favorite food, because she actually genuinely _cares_."

"Well you made it quite clear that you didn't care about her, Pharaoh," the Darkness responded. "You left her alone in Egypt while you returned to the future with your reincarnation. You didn't care when she was up at night crying after being yelled at by Isis, all you cared about was your future. You could have had an amazing future right here with Mana, but what did you do? You left."

"I did what I had to do to save the world," Atem said, his eyes blazing slightly. "And I can stand here from today until tomorrow explaining my reasons to you, but what good would that do me? I'd prefer to say them all to the _real_ Mana."

"Oh, she can hear you," The darkness said with a roll of her eyes. "Just her trying to communicate with you takes her a _lot_ of energy, so she doesn't really bother with it. You might as well get used to talking to me, Pharaoh; Mana doesn't have the strength to overpower me."

"And how would I get rid of you?" Atem asked. He was growing tired of the darkness very quickly. There was just something in the way that she spoke that made him feel as if each word were a taunt, and that got him annoyed rather quickly.

Mana smirked as she sauntered forward, her eyes never leaving Atem's, "If you want to save your poor, sweet Mana from me, dear Pharaoh, and let her have her body back, without me ever coming back, there's only one thing you _can_ do." She reached up and slid a finger along Atem's strong jawline, making him glare at her and flinch away, "Take your dagger and run it through her heart."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7

Atem snarled and took a step back from the possessed Mana, "You're lying! Give me one good reason I shouldn't send your spirit to the Shadow Realm and get rid of you that way!"

The darkness laughed and shook her head, "Why, Pharaoh, you know just as well as I do that there are ways out of the Shadow Realm. Don't you remember Thief King Bakura? How many times did you send _him_ to the Shadow Realm before you finally killed him?" She giggled darkly as Atem merely continued to glare at her, "That's what I thought. A piece of me will always live within your Mana as long as she lives, and even if you _do_ send me to the Shadow Realm, you'll just cause me to grow stronger once again each time you hurt Mana in the future."

"GET OUT!" Atem roared, his true temper flaring up. His anger rarely showed, but when it did, it was a scary sight. He would have Mana contained in the dungeons, if he thought there would actually be a point to it, but Mana, whether she controlled her own body or not, was a magician, and the spirit could just as easily control Mana's powers, as she had shown by sending Isis's mind to the Shadow Realm.

His body shook with anger as he glared at the being of his childhood best friend, and a part of his mind felt disgusted with himself for even that. _She's not Mana. At least not the Mana we know,_ Atem thought to himself, his hands balling up into fists as he looked at the woman in front of him with disgust, his skin crawling slightly as she gave a dark, and somewhat musical, laugh.

"As you wish, Pharaoh," She said with a deep bow. She looked up at him and her eyes flickered threateningly. "Though, don't think this is over between us. Someone like you doesn't deserve to be king, especially after all the pain you caused your so-called best friend." Mana disappeared then with a loud bang and a flash of black light, leaving Atem completely alone.

It was then that Atem finally collapsed on his bed. He was both mentally and physically worn out after the events of the last twenty-four hours. He knew that if he didn't get some rest, he would be useless at trying to help Mana regain control of her body, though he knew she was still there. Though the darkness had overpowered her, he could still sense her presence, if only faintly.

Atem dreamed of the darkness and what she had told him about only being able to save Mana by killing her. He wouldn't be able to kill her and they both knew it. There had to be another way, and he was going to find it. As he slowly became conscious once more, Atem could feel that he was no longer alone in his room. A chill shot through him as he sat up, able to see a shadow leaning against the far wall. Either hand on his Millennium Puzzle, and the familiar mark appearing on his forehead, he rose up, "Who's there?" He demanded.

"Pharaoh," The familiar voice had him regretting his hostile actions almost immediately, though Atem really couldn't believe he was hearing that voice once again in Ancient Egypt.

"Yugi?" Atem asked, getting to his feet and waving his hand, a few candles lighting up as he did so. Once the shadows were gone, Atem's eyes widened slightly as he took in the sight of his former host in front of him, "Yugi, what are you doing here? How did you...?" His eyes glanced down at his Millennium Puzzle, and it was then that he realized Yugi had only said one word to him, and when he looked at him, he could see the tear sliding down the teenager's cheek, "Yugi, what's wrong?"

"Mariah," Yugi said at last, wiping his tear away with the back of his hand. Atem gave Yugi a confused look before the memory came back to him. Mariah was the girl that Mana had possessed while trying to find him, as well as being one of Mana's own descendants.

"What's happened, Yugi?" Atem asked, now feeling more on edge as his confusion grew. "How long has it been in the future?"

"A few weeks," Yugi said in a soft voice. He cleared his throat as Atem led him to his bed to sit down and he produced a cup of water for his long-time host. Once Yugi took a sip of the water, he began to explain, "After you left, Mariah became a friend to me and the rest of the gang," Yugi said, his voice shaking slightly. "She clearly remembered Mana possessing her, and she knew exactly who I was from Mana explaining it all to her." His cheeks flushed slightly, "As I started to get to know her, I realized; I really cared about her, Atem."

"As I care for Mana," Atem said gravely. He had forgotten about how the past events could effect the future, and he was now concerned that the past might have changed more than it should have. "Go on, Yugi."

"I'm really not sure what happened," Yugi said honestly. His tears had returned and his hands were suddenly shaking hard. "One minute we were all hanging out together at Burger World; me, Mariah, Joey, Tristan, and Tea, and then Mariah was gone."

"Gone?" Atem repeated, finding himself a little more than confused. He shook his head, "What do you mean 'gone,' Yugi?"

"She just disappeared," Yugi explained. He swallowed hard and continued after taking another sip of the water, "Literally into thin air. One moment she was there, and the next she was gone completely. And that's not even the strangest part." Atem blinked. If Mariah suddenly vanishing as Yugi had said wasn't the strangest part of the story, he couldn't really think of what the strangest part was going to be.

"I'm the only one who remembers she even existed."

"_What?_"

Yugi nodded as he clawed at Atem's bedsheets, "After she disappeared, I looked at Joey, and I asked him where Mariah had gone, and all of them couldn't remember her, or anything about her. They all thought I was making things up, even though she had been there not even a minute earlier." It was then that Yugi gave into his tears and Atem, always Yugi's stronghold, sat beside him on the bed, his arm going around his smaller former-host.

"Yugi, I'm sorry," Atem said sincerely. He sighed softly, wishing there was more he could say to the young man who was essentially a part of him. "I'm so sorry. What's going on here must be affecting your time as well."

"What's going on, Atem?" Yugi asked, wiping his eyes and looking up at the Pharaoh, realizing then that Atem too looked worn out and tired. His eyes filled with concern, "Did something happen to Mana?"

Atem felt a small jolt at the mention of Mana's name. He wondered vaguely just how much time had passed since he'd fallen asleep and where Mana was, "Unfortunately, yes," he said at last. "Her body's been taken over by a spirit that was born from her pain and lived in the darkness of her heart. I've made a horrible mistake since I've been here and now you're paying the price in the future."

"Atem, please, tell me there's something we can do," Yugi pleaded with the Pharaoh. He shook his head, "I might not know Mana very well, but I know she doesn't deserve what she's going through, and Mariah..." He inhaled shakily, "Atem, I think I loved her."

Atem's heart sank that much more when he heard what Yugi was telling him, but at the same time, he knew how Yugi felt, "I love Mana too, Yugi," He admitted, moving his fingers through his tri-colored hair. "Only I was too foolish to not tell her how I really felt before she was taken over, and now, I'm not sure I can get her back."

"What?" Yugi asked, his eyes widening slightly. "Why... why can't you save her? We've saved people from spirits overpowering them before!"

"Things are different here, Yugi," Atem said gravely. "I can't just force the spirit into a Shadow Game. She's got Mana's powers and is just as powerful as I am, if not more powerful. She says there's only one way to ever truly free Mana from her, and I'm not sure I can do that."

"What is it?" Yugi asked, though he was almost certain that he knew the answer as he could see it clearly in Atem's eyes.

"I'd have to kill her, effectively killing both of them," Atem said with a soft sigh. He shook his head, "But Yugi, imagine if someone told you you had to _kill_ Joey to _save_ him, would you be able to do it?"

"Probably not," Yugi said with a shake of his head. His eyes fell on the Millennium Puzzle around Atem's neck, remembering that in this time only that one could exist, "But Atem, I'm not the one with Shadow Magic."

* * *

><p>Mana felt as if she were truly going insane. She'd already been stuck in her own mind for a full day. She didn't know how much longer she could truly last without losing what was left of her mind to the darkness that surrounded her.<p>

_It would be much easier if you didn't fight it_, The now horribly familiar voice said to her. Mana shuddered as she heard the voice, before she sighed and lay flat on the surface beneath her.

"Who's fighting?" Mana asked the darkness. "I'm just sitting here being bored as it is."

_You might not be fighting, but your heart is. You and I both know that you're not going to just give up and let me cause your dear, sweet Pharaoh any pain. But you also know that he won't kill us._

"I don't believe that we're an 'us,' really," Mana said with a shake of her head. "There's you and then there's me. That's really all there is to it. I don't like you, and you don't like me. I wish you' d die in the fire of the sun, and you just love tormenting me."

_How true,_ The darkness thought shortly. She leaned against a pillar, looking out at the palace courtyard. It was a nice night out, and she might have enjoyed it, had she not had other things on her mind. "Really, Mana, if it bothers you that much, maybe I'll just end this tonight."

"That's what you think."

Mana suddenly became aware once more as the darkness turned to look at Atem. She wondered vaguely just how long the Pharaoh had been standing there, "You're making my life too easy, Pharaoh," She said with a smirk. "You know, Mana's going to miss you so."

Atem smirked right back as the Millennium Eye appeared on his forehead, "I have no intention of going anywhere. You, on the other hand..."

"Send me to the Shadow Realm, Pharaoh," Mana dared him, holding her arms open wide. "Then it will only be a matter of time until I find my way back to your Mana once you start causing her more pain."

"I'm not sending you anywhere," Atem said, searching for Mana's pure soul within her possessed body. He located her and inhaled slowly, _I'm sorry, Mana. I hope you can forgive me for what I'm about to do._

He separated Mana's pure spirit from her body, sending her to the Shadow Realm. Atem felt sick to his stomach as he did it, but he knew there really was no other way. The moment the darkness realized what had happened, something else caught her attention, "HEY!"

Yugi popped up behind her and the darkness growled, "You little brat! What are you doing here?"

"He's helping me do this," the darkness Jumped and whirled around to face Atem, just as he plunged the dagger through her heart.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8

Atem paced the hallway for what felt like the millionth time. Three days had passed since he'd stabbed Mana, _No, I didn't stab Mana, I stabbed the darkness that was controlling her_. He was growing restless. After he'd pulled the dagger from Mana's heart, he'd held her as she bled, watching the darkness lose its control with every last breath she took, and before he knew it, Mana's body was limp in his arms, no breathing, no heartbeat, no playful Mana-ness. Her body was just that, an empty body, devoid of any spirit controlling it. Atem had found himself lost for a moment, the realization of what he had done hitting him hard, but thankfully he had Yugi next to him to snap him back to reality. He reminded him that he needed to return Mana's spirit to her body from the Shadow Realm, and he needed to do it quickly, lest the Shadows claim her pure spirit for themselves.

He'd been quick to summon Mana's soul back to her body, and he'd been able to sense her return, but something felt off, and his face paled as he realized what had happened. He had been too late. He hadn't summoned her back from the Shadow Realm fast enough, and now he wasn't sure what to expect when Mana woke up, if she did. Atem had Isis watching over her and taking care of healing her, and Mana was both breathing and her heart was beating, but still she wouldn't wake up, and that worried the Pharaoh more than anything.

Yugi looked up at Atem from his spot on the floor. He'd dozed off, his forehead against his knees, and he saw the look on Atem's face, his own look darkening, "Still nothing, Atem?" He asked, failing to stifle a yawn. Atem shook his head once and he sighed softly.

"You should go get some sleep, Yugi," He said in a soft voice. He would have to be blind to miss the dark circles under Yugi's eyes, and the way his skin had paled even more than normal, despite being in Egypt for several days. "It wouldn't be good for you to get sick."

Yugi stood up and stretched, his shoulders both popping as he did so, along with his knees, "I'll be fine, Atem," He said, rubbing the back of his neck. He looked at the door that Atem had been pacing in front of, "Has it really been three days?" He asked. He knew, in his heart, that Atem would rather be sitting by Mana's side, rather than pacing uselessly outside the door, but something was holding the Pharaoh back.

Atem nodded once again, "I've really messed this up, Yugi. I never should have sent Mana's spirit to the Shadow Realm. I should have found another way..."

"There was _no_ other way," Yugi said with a shake of his head, though he could sense that Atem was close to losing it. Maybe that was what he needed after three days of doing nothing but holding everything in.

"Then I should have left the darkness in control of her until I found another way!" Atem roared, the emotional guard he had put up around himself finally starting to crumble. He'd steeled himself from the emotions since the moment he'd found Isis and left her to care for Mana, and now that three days had passed and Mana wasn't getting any better, he was finally breaking, "Look what I caused because I acted without thinking it through more thoroughly! I as good as killed my best friend, and even if she isn't dead, she might never wake up!"

Yugi walked over to Atem, unsurprised to see his body trembling and tears filling his eyes. Yugi felt his throat tighten slightly. He'd rarely ever seen Atem cry, the time that came to the forefront of his memory was when Joey had lost his duel to Marik in the Battle City Tournament Finals, "Come on," He said, taking Atem's hand. He pulled hard, though the Pharaoh resisted slightly. "Atem, come _on_!" He said, finally succeeding in pulling Atem towards the door and pushing it open. Together they walked into the room where Mana lay on the bed, a long bandage visible beneath the top of her dress, extending from her chest towards her abdomen. Isis looked up, though she could not see Yugi, she stood instantly when she saw Atem.

"My Pharaoh," She said, giving a slight bow. She glanced to Mana's body and then back to Atem, a somber look on her face, "I'm sorry, my King, there has not been much of a change in Mana's condition. Though she breathes steadily and her heart beats rapidly, she still does not wake."

Atem nodded once, feeling as though he were going to be asking the obvious question, "Have you seen anything of her future?" He asked, wondering why Yugi had dragged him into this room. His heart felt as though Ra himself were stabbing him. He could barely stand to glance over at Mana's lifeless form.

Isis shook her head, "The future is hazy," She said, a regretful look on her face. "I have tried many times to see past this haze that fills my visions when I try to find Mana, but to no avail, Pharaoh. Her future is not yet decided and is in the hands of the gods themselves."

Atem stood up a little straighter. The Egyptian Gods! How could he have not thought of it before? His father had once spoken directly to them, asking them to spare him from their wrath. Now that he was Pharaoh, could he not do the same? At that point, he was willing to try anything. He turned slightly to face Yugi, _Will you stay here with them for a while?_ He asked through their mind link. _I just had an idea of how I might be able to help Mana, but you can't come with me where I'm going._

Yugi nodded and smiled reassuringly at Atem, _I'll let you know if anything changes while you're gone._

_Thank you, Yugi._

* * *

><p>The sun was rising by the time Atem entered the ancient temple. He grabbed a torch and lit it with a bit of help from his Shadow Magic, and as he entered the temple, a strong memory hit him, nearly causing him to double over. He remembered clearly the last time he had been here; when his father had begged that he not be blamed for his father's sins. He had been afraid of the temple then, and if he were honest with himself, the temple gave him a chill now. But he ignored the fact and started to go deeper within the temple. He came across an old stone path, and he remembered vibrantly how he had nearly fallen off, the stone still chipped where his foot had come down and he'd lost his balance as it crumbled. If that happened again, there would be no one to save him. For the time being, he was truly on his own.<p>

He entered the final chamber of the temple, where a shrine of sorts to the Gods stood. He knelt down before it, his head bowed low, "Oh, Gods of Egypt, I pray to thee. I come to you in a time where I have no where else left to turn. I've made a mistake and I come to you now to beg forgiveness and ask that you heal my friend who doesn't deserve the pain I've caused her. Please, help her..."

Atem gasped as his vision suddenly went white, a large bolt of lightning coming down almost instantaneously as he finished his prayer. A large shape emerged out of the lightning, and Atem's heart raced as he realized he was suddenly in the presence of an Egyptian God. As the form of the God solidified, Atem clearly recognized that he was in the presence of Ra, who had chose to present himself in the form of the Winged Dragon of Ra.

"Stand, Atem, son of the late Aknamkanon, Pharaoh of Egypt."

Atem stood, though he did not look Ra in the eye out of both fear and respect, "Thank you for listening to my prayer, Ra, Sun God of Egypt."

Ra inclined his head, "The Gods always listen. Whether they answer is a different subject. I have heard your plea, and I must ask you, Pharaoh, why is this girl, Mana, as you called her, so important to you?"

Atem swallowed hard, trying to think of the best way to answer the God's question. There was nothing that the Gods didn't already know, but still, Ra asked, meaning he wanted an honest answer, "She's been my closest friend since we were both young. She's risked her life over and over again to protect mine, and I've done so little to repay her. She deserves so much more than the treatment that she's been given throughout her life, and I want to be the one to show her that there _is_ more to life than just magic and serving the Pharaoh. I wish for her to be mine as long as we both live, both in this world and in the afterlife."

Ra stood for a minute, considering Atem's answer, before he started to glow slightly, "Your friend Mana's soul has been fragmented, parts of it claimed by the Shadow Realm. Those parts of her spirit can never be returned, but they can be replaced. If you want Mana to heal, you will have to give up parts of your own soul in order to save her."

"Meaning that I would die?" Atem asked, his heart jolting painfully. He truly hoped that his own death wasn't the only way to save Mana. He relaxed slightly when Ra shook his head.

"No, you will not die, Pharaoh," Ra responded. "Though, you will be bound to her. You will not be able to leave this time once again without taking the parts of your spirit infused in Mana with you. She _will_ die if you go outside the boundaries of Egypt without her, or to another time."

Atem understood what the God was trying to tell him, "I can't go back to Yugi's time."

"Not without taking Mana with you," Ra confirmed. "Your bond with the one named Yugi Muto will remain intact, and all the battles you have fought over the past four years will remain unchanged, and you are free to come and go between this time and that time as you please, if you take Mana with you. If you return to the future you will no longer be able to inhabit Yugi Muto's body, and both you and Mana would be given your own bodies to roam that time as you wish." Ra inclined his head, "To save your friend Mana, do you agree to these terms?"

Atem hesitated for a moment, thinking hard about his answer. Mana meant the world to him, and he truly wanted to do anything he could to save her. Ra even gave him the options of being able to return to Yugi's time and keep his bond intact with him. The only stipulation was that he couldn't go anywhere, be it out of Egypt or to another time without her. Truth be told, he didn't really mind having to agree to have Mana by his side at all times.

"I agree," Atem said at last with a nod. His body started to glow with the same golden light that made up the Winged Dragon of Ra, and he really did double over then, a hot pain starting to travel through his body.

_So let it be written, so let it be told... Within twelve hours, Mana shall awaken, Pharaoh, and both of your new destinies shall begin._

* * *

><p>Atem returned to the palace, his body feeling as though it were being pulled there. He wondered vaguely if that was due to what he had done to save her. Pieces of his own soul now resided inside of Mana. He had to laugh to himself when he thought of how that pretty much gave a new meaning to the word soulmate. Whether he and Mana had a future together remained to be seen, but Atem was relieved that his best friend would at least be back to somewhat normal.<p>

When he walked into the room where Mana was being kept, the first pair of eyes he caught were Yugi's. His eyes were filled with amazement, as well as disbelief, _What did you do, Atem?_

Atem blinked in confusion as Isis reappeared, the look in her eyes very much the same that Yugi had, "My Pharaoh! I have had guards looking all over for you. The most incredible thing happened while you were gone. Mana's body started to glow with a golden light, and almost instantly, I had a vision of her. She's going to be alright, my King."

"Thank the Gods," Atem said in a low voice with a soft sigh. He hadn't doubted that Ra would stick to his word, but it felt very good to hear that Isis was once again able to see Mana in her visions. "You may go rest, Isis. I will stay with Mana for now."

"Are you sure, my King?" Isis asked. "You look as though you have not slept in some time yourself."

Atem nodded, "I am sure, Isis. I wish to be here when she wakes."

"Very well," Isis said, giving a low bow before she exited the room. Atem sighed once she was gone, falling into a chair beside Mana's bed, his eyes closed.

"So, what happened?" Yugi chimed, able to speak freely now that Isis was gone. He tilted his head as he looked at Atem. The Pharaoh definitely seemed more relaxed now that he knew Mana was going to be okay.

"I asked the Egyptian Gods for help," Atem answered simply. He opened his eyes and looked at Yugi, "And I was answered by Ra himself. He saved Mana, but not without a price." He looked at Yugi and pain flashed through his eyes, "Please, Yugi, I need you to understand that there isn't anything I wouldn't do for Mana."

"Of course," Yugi said with a nod. His face fell slightly, "But what was the condition that you had to agree to?"

"I gave up part of my soul to replace the parts that Mana had torn away from her by the Shadow Realm," Atem explained. "She and I are now linked so that she relies on me being close to her to live."

Yugi understood what that meant almost instantly, and the sadness showed in his eyes as tears began to form, "So you're not coming back."

Atem looked into Yugi's pained eyes with an expression mirroring the teenager's, "Not unless Mana agrees to time travel with me. Which isn't out of the question completely, Yugi. Right now all I can do is take things one day at a time. Ra also said that if and when Mana and I do decide to time travel, I'm no longer going to require use of your body. I'll be granted my own body to use, as will Mana."

The tears slowly slid down Yugi's cheeks, "But..." He inhaled shakily, feeling like a bunch of emotions were just hitting him at once. "Our link..."

"Will still be there," Atem finished. He shook his head, "Yugi, I promise you this, our friendship will remain until the day both of us leave this world. I'll always be able to hear you call out for me and need my help." He smiled weakly at his best friend, "And now that Mana's healing, hopefully Mariah will return as well."

Yugi smiled faintly, "I hope so. I don't know if I could stand losing all the people I care about at once."

Atem felt a rush of guilt, "Yugi..."

"It's fine," Yugi said with a shake of his head. He took Atem's hand and gave it a squeeze, "You belong here with Mana, Pharaoh. I know it, as does the rest of the gang back home." He smiled reassuringly, "Once we're sure Mana's well again, I'll return home, hopefully back to Mariah." A soft laugh escaped his lips, "Who knows? Maybe Mariah is meant for me like Mana is meant for you."

Atem opened his mouth to respond when a soft groan reached his ears. He and Yugi both looked around, just in time to see Mana open her blue-green eyes.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

She had been burning. Her skin slowly melting off of her. She knew why he had done it, but at the same time, she couldn't believe that he had done it to her. The Shadow Realm was unlike anything she had ever experienced before, even with her magic sometimes malfunctioning and sending her to other dimensions. The moment she had landed there, she heard dark voices, and felt painful things, as if she herself were being torn apart. When she'd been pulled back out of the Shadow Realm, she knew something was wrong. Everything felt wrong to her, and she couldn't open her eyes, as hard as she had tried. She wanted to cry out, to let someone know that she was okay, but even that proved to be impossible.

And then, suddenly, she felt herself slowly becoming stronger, her being becoming whole again. She wasn't sure how it had happened, but it had. And then suddenly, she heard the talking...

"_Who knows? Maybe Mariah is meant for me like Mariah is meant for you."_

She knew that voice, though she had been confused about why she was suddenly hearing it in Ancient Egypt. It was the curiosity that finally got her to force her eyes open. She had been momentarily blinded by the light in the room, and then it all came rushing back to her.

"Mana."

Mana's eyes flicked over to the sound of his voice. She sighed softly as she clearly saw Atem, not as a projection, but it was actually him who stood with Yugi several feet away. At first she was relieved to see him, and then she remembered. She had every right to be angry at him. With a huff of angry air, she glared at Atem and turned over, wincing at the pain she felt across her chest as she did so.

_Here we go_, Atem thought, his face burning slightly as he started to walk closer to the bed.

_What did you say?_

Atem's back went rigid. The voice in his head wasn't Yugi's like he had expected, but Mana's. She looked over her shoulder at him, her eyes wild, "What did you do to me?" She demanded as she sat up. "Why can I hear you in my head?"

"Mana, I-"

"It's not bad enough you send me to the Shadow Realm but now I need to hear your voice in my head too?"

"Mana, wait, it's not-"

"Why do you insist on doing this to me? First you tell me you don't want to go any further with me and then you send me to the Shadow Realm, which really hurt, by the way, and now-"

"MANA!" Atem growled, his hands on either one of her shoulders before he leaned down and kissed her deeply, effectively stopping her rambling. He moaned softly into the kiss, and he could feel that though she kissed him back Mana was not happy with him. Suddenly, as though someone had attached a rope to his middle, he was suddenly pulled back roughly and he spun through the air before he landed hard on the stone floor.

"Atem!" Yugi cried, running over to his closest friend. He knelt down beside the Pharaoh, helping him sit up. Atem's eyes narrowed at Mana as he looked back at her. Had his best friend really used her magic on him like that? If anyone else had dared to attack him like that, they might not be around to talk about it much longer, but Mana was... Yugi stood up and walked over to Mana's bed, his amythest eyes holding only concern for her, "Mana," He said in a soft voice, sitting down on the edge of her bed. "Do you remember who I am?"

"How could I forget?" Mana asked, her tone no longer containing any anger or hostility. The hint of a smile ghosted across her face, "You're Yugi. You helped me save Atem five years ago, and you're his host in the future." She sighed softly, "Is it true what you said, Yugi? You think Mariah might be meant for you?"

Yugi nodded once, "After you left she became really close to me and my friends. Though when things started going bad out here, it took its toll on her and she disappeared. I don' know what's happened since I came out here a few days ago, but that's why I came here, to see if I could help Atem try to return things to the way they were."

"Do you love her, Yugi?" Mana asked, tilting her head ever so slightly. There was just something about Yugi that had her completely entranced as she spoke to him. It was just like speaking to Atem when he was younger, and that made her relax somewhat.

Yugi's cheeks burned and Mana laughed, the sound music to Atem's ears. He silently thanked Yugi for what he was doing. Mana sat up with a wince and took Yugi's hands in her own, "You don't need to answer that, Yugi. I can see it in your eyes." Her eyes looked over at Atem, "It's the same look Atem gets any time he's alone with me."

Atem's cheeks burned as well as he dared to walk closer to the bed once again, "Not going to pull that trick on me again, are you?" He asked, his eyes cautious. He relaxed as Mana shook her head and sat down beside Yugi on Mana's bed. "I'm sorry, Mana. You just didn't give me a chance to explain. I sent you to the Shadow Realm to save your spirit. I knew that there wasn't another way to save you completely from the darkness unless you died, and that was the only way I could kill the darkness and save you."

"But why can I hear your thoughts now?" Mana asked, rubbing her forehead. "My mind is confusing enough as it is..."

"I left you in the Shadow Realm too long," Atem said gravely, his throat tightening slightly. He relaxed slightly once more as Mana took his hand, giving it a soft squeeze as she linked their fingers. "If Yugi hadn't been there to snap me back to reality, I might have lost you completely. I don't think you truly realize how pure your spirit is, Mana; the Shadows love pure spirits like yours. They managed to grab part of you before I could bring you back. You wouldn't wake up, and I went to talk to the Gods. Ra told me what had happened in the Shadow Realm and that there was only one way for me to save you. I had to give part of my spirit to you."

"What does that mean?" Mana asked, tilting her head to the side. She felt a little better now that she knew what was going on, but it was still a lot for her to take in at once. Her head throbbed slightly as she laid back down, taking Atem's hand with her.

"It means that you're stuck with me," Atem smirked.

Mana reached behind her and hit Atem with her pillow. The pharaoh laughed and grabbed the pillow before Mana could hit him again, "You dork, I was trying to be serious!"

"As was I," Atem said. He leaned over and rested his forehead against Mana's. Atem didn't miss the way that Mana's eyes shifted slightly, a familiar glint returning to them. "Yugi's right, Mana. Just like Mariah is meant for him, you're definitely meant for me. I'm sorry I didn't say all of this to you sooner. It was probably the biggest mistake that I ever made. Please, forgive me."

Mana bit down on her lower lip, "How could I not, my Atem?" She asked, moving her fingers along his strong cheekbone before she kissed him softly. "I've been waiting to hear those words from you for years."

* * *

><p>A week later, Mana sat on Atem's lap in his room, Yugi standing in front of them, preparing to return to his own time. Over the last week, Yugi had seen a change in both Atem and Mana. He wasn't sure what it was, other than there being one explanation for it; they really were meant for each other.<p>

Atem rarely let Mana out of his sight, and any time they were apart, he constantly used their new mind link to check on her. She wasn't back to her full strength yet, and the top of her scar was always visible over the top of her dress, a constant reminder to Atem for what he had done and the pain he had caused her, but he was determined to never let her get hurt again.

On the subject of hurting people, while Atem was happier than ever with Mana, he was still worried about Yugi. He knew that Yugi was going back to a time where hopefully Mariah would be returned to him, and that would help him, but they were both used having each other around and being able to rely on each other.

"Don't worry, Atem," Yugi said with a shake of his head. He smiled over at Mana, who sat contently on Atem's lap, rubbing his arm idly. The sight of them together made him want to return to his own time that much more to make sure Mariah was really back. "I know that you belong here. And it's not like we're never going to see each other again. The Puzzle will keep us connected, as will our own mind link."

Atem nodded once, leaning slightly against Mana, a content sigh escaping his lips, "That much is true. Just remember, any time you need me, all you need to do is call for me. Though, don't forget, my little tag-along here will be coming too."

"It's your own fault," Mana said teasingly, sticking her tongue out. She stood up then and Atem frowned, very much enjoying Mana's closeness. He tilted his head to the side as he watched Mana hug Yugi, "Be sure to take care of her, Yugi."

"Of course I will," Yugi said with a smile. "And you keep your own promise to me; make sure to take care of Atem."

"I give you my word once again, Yugi, no harm will ever come to Atem as long as I'm around."

* * *

><p>Yugi sighed softly as he felt his feet hit solid ground. He was back in his bedroom in the Twenty-First Century. The time on his clock told him that only a minute had passed since he left. Mana had done her spell perfectly, it seemed. Now all that remained to be seen was if his journey had been in vain or not.<p>

"Yugi."

Yugi jumped, his heart jolting as he heard the soft voice. He spun around and saw Mariah sitting on his desk. He blinked hard, trying to make sure that he wasn't seeing things. When her face lit up with a smile almost identical to Mana's, he quickly crossed the room and brought her into a close hug, "Mariah... You're okay."

Mariah hugged Yugi back, relaxing as she felt his arms tight around her, "I'm not really sure what happened, Yugi, but I feel like I have a lot to thank you for."

Yugi inhaled shakily trying to control his emotions, "I almost lost you, Mariah," He said in a soft voice. "And now that I got you back, I'm not going to let anything take you away from me. Ever."

**END**

**AN: And thus ends Return to the Past. Fear not though, I'm going to do a sequel focusing on Yugi and Mariah, with some Atem and Mana, of course. I hope some of you will follow me to that story and at least give it a chance, especially if you liked this fic. I'm really bad at ending stories, so I apologize if it ended a little quickly. Thank you very much for reading this fic and giving me reviews throughout it.**


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